Container



N. GEERTSEN CONTAINER Filed Sept. 14. 1939 I Hill Lil nu l I l l I Fm INVENTOR Q B 1 M' s Patented July 13,1943

CONTAINER Nelson Geertsen, Chicago, Ill., assignor .to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 14, 1939, Serial No. 294,966

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers or cans for liquids or other pourable contents and has particular reference to a friction plug cover container having an integral pouring spout.

An object of the invention is the provision of a friction plug cover container wherein the friction cover is formed with a dispensing opening and is further provided with a pouring spout which is formed integrally with the cover and which projects outwardly beyond the cover in a manner which permits easy stacking of the containers one on top of another.

Another object is the provision in such a container of an integrally formed pouring spout which will not interfere with the proper seating of the cover when the latter is brought into closingposition on the container.

Another object is the provision of a container of this character wherein the cover is formed with a depressed panel section around the dispensing opening, this panel section being surrounded by a raised ridge which extends along lines diverging toward the pouring spout at the outer edge of the cover so that the flow of the the container contents during dispensing will be properly guided toward the pouring spout and so that any residue will properly drain back into the container after such a dispensing operation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing? Figure 1 is a top plan view of a closed friction top container embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a combined side elevation and sectional view of the container cover only, the view being taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawing illustrates a cylindrical sheet metal friction plug can II which is closed with a removable friction plug cover l2. Th can and its cover are preferably of the character disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,450,422 issued April 3, 1923, to G. A. Leighton, on Friction top can.

The can includes a body l4 having an inward ly extending annulus or ring l5 secured along its outer edge at the top of the body, in a suitable seam. This annulus is formed with a top wall section i8 which slopes downwardly at a slight angle toward the interior of the can and then merges into and terminates in a depending flange Hi. This flange constitutes the inner edge or wall portion of the annulus which surrounds the annulus opening. Such annulus opening constitutes the mouth of the can through which the can may be filled with its contents and the flange l9 surrounding it provides a friction seat for the cover.

The friction plug cover l2 comprises a circular sunken panel or bottom wall part 2i whichv at its outermost edge merges into an annular upright friction wall 22. This, friction wall 22 is adapted to fit tightly within the friction seat ill of the annulus when the cover is in place on the can, as shown in Fig. 2. At its upper edge the friction wall 22 merges into an outwardly bent shoulder wall which provides a shoulder 24 that engages against the top wall l8 of the annulus when the cover is on the can, as shown in Fig. 2. This limits the insertion of the friction wall of the cover within the friction seat wall of the annulus. The shoulder 24 merges into an upright outer wall 25 of larger diameter than the friction wail anad terminates in an edge curl 26 so that the outer edge of the cover is smooth.

Dispensing of the contents from the can is preferably effected by way of a circular dispensing opening 3| (Fig. 2) when the can is tilted into dispensing position. This opening is in a depressed panel section 32 formed in the cover top wall 2| and is located adjacent the outer edge of the cover. The wall of the panel slopes downwardly toward theopening and terminates in a depending flange 33 which surrounds and provides the boundary for the opening.

At the outer edge of the panel section 32, there is provided a raised bead or ridge 35 which separates the panel section from the cover top wall proper. This ridge is preferably shaped substantially like a letter U, the outer ends of the legs terminating at the edge of the cover. Its center part .is curved as at 36 (Fig. .1), this being inside of the plug cover and the legs of the U spreading out extend along diverging lines, as at 31. The ridge confines the flowing contents while being dispensed and directs the contents to the cover edge.

When not being used, the dispensing opening is preferably closed with a friction cap 38. Such a cap includes a bottom wall 4! which at its outer edge merges into an upright friction wall 42. The upper edge of the friction wali'termi nates in an outwardly extending flange 43 which is curl'ed at its outer edge to present a smooth surface. When the cap is in closing position within the dispensing opening its friction wall 43 tightly engages within the boundary flange 33 and thus seals the opening.

The contents of the can issuing from the dispensing opening 3| passes over the outer edge of the friction cover by way of a pouring spout 65. The spout is formed integrally with the cover I3 and is located adjacent the dispensing opening. This pouring spout is formed as an extension of the plug cover's outer wall 25, the curled edge 26 of the cover extending around the pouring spout and presenting a smooth edge.

The spout 45 projects beyond the outer edge of the plug cover but is substantially flush with the top or curled edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. It will not interfere with stacking of the cans one on top of another. In cross-section the spout is depressed or curved, as shown in Fig. 3, and the base of the spout merges into the outer wall 25 just above the shoulder 24. Thus it will beseen that the spout in no way interferes with proper seating of the plug cover in its friction seat.

When the can is tilted into dispensing position its contents issue from the dispensing opening 3| and, restrained by the surrounding ridge 35, is directed toward the pouring spout 45. The curved contour of the spout readily carries the dispensed contents over the edge of the cover in a proper manner. When the can is again righted to stop the dispensing action any residual contents will readily drain back into the can. This draining action is facilitated by the depressed panel section 32 and the ridge 35 around the dispensing opening as hereinbefore explained.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A friction plug cover container, comprising a body member having a friction ring secured thereto, said ring having a depending inner wall constituting a friction seat, a countersunk wall friction plug cover having an outer flange terminating in an inner peripheral wall disposed in frictional engagement with said seat to close the container, said cover countersunk wall having a dispensing opening therein defined by a depending cover friction wall and surrounded by an integral depressed cover panel section separated from the cover countersunk wall by an integral substantially U-shaped raised ridge bead merging at its spaced outer ends into the peripheral wall asaaeoe of said cover, and an inclined pouring spout formed integrally with said cover and disposed between the outer ends of said raised ridge bead, said spout merging at its inner end into said cover peripheral wall to communicate with said depressed panel section surrounding said opening, the outer end of said spout lying within the plane of said cover flange to facilitate stacking of the closed containers one upon the other.

2. A friction plug cover container, comprising a body member having a friction ring secured thereto, said ring having a depending inner wall constituting a friction seat, a countersunk wall friction plug cover having an outer flange terminating in an inner shouldered peripheral wall disposed in frictional engagement with said seat to close the container, said cover countersunk wall having a dispensing opening therein defined by a depending cover friction wall and surrounded by an integral depressed cover panel section separated from the cover countersunk wall by an integral substantially U-shaped raised ridge bead diverging at its spaced outer ends and merging into the shouldered peripheral wall of said cover, an inclined pouring spout of trans verse curvature formed integrally with said cover and disposed between the outer ends of said raised ridge head, said spout merging at its inner end into the shoulder of the cover peripheral wall to communicate with said depressed panel section surrounding said dispensing opening, the outer end of said spout projecting over the body wall and lying within the plane of said cover flange to facilitate stacking of the closed containers one upon the other, and a friction plug closure element engaging within the depending friction wall portion of said cover for sealing said dispensing opening.

3. A friction plug cover container, comprising a tubular body, a friction ring secured to an end of said body and having a depending inner wall constituting a friction seat, and a countersunk friction plug cover having an outer flange merging into an inner peripheral wall outlining the countersink of the cover and disposed in frictional engagement with said friction seat to close the container, the countersunk wall of said cover having a dispensing opening defined by a depending friction wall and surrounded by an integral depressed panel section outlined by a substantially U-shaped raised ridge bead merging at its spaced outer ends into the said peripheral wall, said friction plug cover flange being extended in the region of the spaced ends of said ridge head to provide an inclined pouring spout, said spout inwardly merging into said peripheral wall and communicating with said depressed panel section surrounding said opening, the outer end of said spout lying within the plane of said cover flange to facilitate stacking of the closed containers one upon the other.

NELSON GEERTSEN. 

